Upgrade Disk Space Macbook Pro

• Macbook Pro Disk Space
• Macbook Pro Disk Utility
• Upgrade Disk Space Macbook Pro 15
• Upgrade Disk Space Macbook Pro 2020

Are you getting a disk full warning on your MacBook Pro? It says you need to make more space available on your startup disk and urges you to delete files or save space by optimizing storage.

Like this – 'Your disk is almost full' (for macOS Sierra or later).

MacBook Pro Upgrade Service - I will upgrade your Mac - Faster - More Disk Space. APPLE MACBOOK PRO 15' ULTRA UPGRADE MACOS 10.14 MOJAVE CORE i7 8GB RAM 1TB SSD. No matter how often you upgrade your hardware, there will come a time in your life when you encounter the message 'Your startup disk is almost full.' Yes, this message will hit you really hard. But what hurts the most is when you have already done everything but the disk space is not updating after deleting files. Did your MacBook run out of storage space? Use an expansion card in your computer's SD port as a quick and easy way to add up to 256GB of additional space without adding any bulk, or requiring any tools or programming knowledge!

Or this – 'Your startup disk is almost full' (for earlier macOS versions).

How can you actually 'optimize storage'? Apple has some hints on freeing up storage space, but let's be honest — the tips are fairly generic! For example, one of them is a recommendation to use iCloud, a subscription service that we're not really a fan of because it isn't cheap and the file sync process can be time-consuming.

That's why we decide to write this post, offering a number of better ways to reclaim more space when MacBook startup disk is full. The best part? We'll make it as detailed as possible so you won't feel lost.

Let's get started, but first…

What's Filling up My MacBook Startup Disk?

So what exactly is your startup disk? Well, your startup disk is the partition on which your Mac operating system runs. It has a set amount of space (say, 500GB) that you can use to store applications and files. You can't get rid of that disk because it's what your Mac uses to function. However, as time goes on the files and apps you add to the MacBook drive will begin to accumulate and limit the space remaining on that disk.

Note: most MacBook users have just one disk named 'Macintosh HD' by default, but power users may have two or more.

You'll get a message from Apple system when your disk is almost full, and if it fills all the way up you won't be able to download new files, open attachments, or install new programs. An overfilled startup disk will also cause your MacBook to run slower since it won't be able to use RAM as effectively. This means keeping your disk clean is extremely important for daily operations.

To check what's taking up space on your mac, you can choose 'Manage' on the startup disk warning notification. If you're ahead of the curve and trying to clean up your Mac before being warned, you can access the management screen by going to About This Mac from the Apple menu (top left of your screen), and then choosing Storage. Apple version of paint.

You can also use CleanMyMac (via the Quick Menu shown below) to get a quick overview of how much storage space are taken. By the way, the app does more than just that. You can easily use it to clean up gigabytes of system junk and unnecessary files in minutes.

Regardless of which methods you use, these tools will help you see what's taking up the most space and guide you towards where to start trimming down.

How Do I Free up More Space on My MacBook?

Now that you know what's stealing your storage, how can you fix the problem? Aside from the obvious solutions like clearing the trash and downloads folder, there a few different methods you can use.

Tip: Before using any of these methods, backup important files! Time Machine is the built-in app you could use and it's free. You may also use advanced backup software Get Backup Pro, which offers more powerful and convenient backup options.

1. Erase Duplicate or Similar Files

These days we all are used to back up phone/camera photos to our computer, and believe it or not, identical or similar files can quickly add up and occupy lots of space. They can be duplicate documents, images taken twice (or more times), redundant backups, and several other formats. The tricky part is those files are usually not easy to be found.

Fortunately, you can use a handy app like Gemini to quickly locate them.

Using the app, you can choose folders to scan and find these unneeded duplicates. Gemini then separates exact duplicates from similar files so you know exactly what you're looking at, and you'll be prompted before deleting anything. It can help you reclaim a lot of valuable disk space in just a few minutes.

2. Offload Important but Infrequently Used Files

How often do you watch the movies you've downloaded to your computer? Do your old photos need to be within reach at all times or only upon occasion? If you're someone who keeps archives of documents, images, movies, programs, or other files but only occasionally reference them you might benefit from transferring them to an external drive.

Then start copying files from your MacBook to the external HDD. If you're copying projects such as unfinished movies or designs, make sure you copy all assets as well or the file will not be able to load properly.

3. Beware of Mac System Files

Depending on the macOS you're using, you might notice that 'System Storage' or 'Other Storage' keeps increasing and as a result, taking too much disk space. The worst part? You can't analyze what's stored inside as this option is greyed out by macOS by default.

Thankfully, you can use CleanMyMac X to get an 'insider' look and clean those unneeded system files. Just download the app and install it on your Mac. Open it, click on Space Lens, run quick scan of your Macintosh HD, then under 'System' folder, you'll be able to see all the details.

4. Sign up for a Better Cloud Storage Program

You may have noticed that Mac's storage manage panel prompts you to consider iCloud as a way to clear space (see the screenshot below). While we aren't a huge fan of Apple's subscription cloud storage program, there are plenty of alternatives available.

Two of the most popular are Google Drive and Dropbox.

Google drive will give you 15GB of free storage space, and the companion program Google Photos offers unlimited image and video storage at 16MP or 1080p and less. If you still don't have enough space, you can upgrade your Google Drive to 100GB for just $2/month or a terabyte for $9.99/month.

Dropbox offers a basic account for free with 2GB of space, but upgrading to Dropbox Plus will get you a terabyte of uploads for $9.99/month. According to 9to5mac, Dropbox stands out for its file-sync speed and reliability as he put:

'For me, the crucial benefit of Dropbox is speed and reliability. I've tried all the main services over the years, and Dropbox has always been 100% reliable and has consistently synced within seconds.'

Both programs offer an automatic import function as well to help cut down on your work.

5. Deep Clean Your MacBook Drive

If storage space seems to be a recurring problem, you will benefit from cleaning out system junk and useless files to stay on top of any storage issues. Again, CleanMyMac is the best solution to handle this. It's an app that provides you insightful information on what's taking away your storage.

You can use the app to scan unnecessary files such as temporary documents, attachments, and iTunes/iMovie junk that usually require extensive searching to find buried in your Mac's library. After the scan, it then offers a number of suggested actions you can take to reclaim more space.

6. Manually Delete Old Large Files & Apps

If you're looking for a quick and short-term fix, manually clearing out those old large files will help you get a few extra gigabytes of space without sacrificing a great deal of time.

First, open Finder and navigate to 'All My Files' from the sidebar. Make sure your files are in list view (the icon that looks like 4 stacked lines should be dark grey) and then choose 'Size' from the header.

If you're on an older macOS, you'll need to click the settings gear in Finder and select ARRANGE BY > SIZE. This will produce a slightly different layout which groups your files by category (100MB – 10GB, 1MB – 100 MB, etc). You can find the size of each file by right-clicking and choosing 'Get Info'.

Once you know which files are largest, you can start removing those you no longer need and clearing space as efficiently as possible. Some common space hogs include videos, old DMGs, creative applications, and large audio files.

A quicker way to spot out old big files on your Mac is to run CleanMyMac X (again) and navigate through the Large & Old Files feature as it will sort all those items based on file size.

That's all we want to share with you in this article. Did you manage to address the disk almost full issue on your MacBook Pro? Which method(s) do you find most helpful? Or you have another awesome tip to reclaim more storage quickly? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display has one annoying flaw: Not enough storage. Many shipped with a paltry 128GB of built-in flash storage while most shipped with just 256GB. The question now is, 'How can I upgrade my Retina MacBook Pro with more SSD storage?' The best storage solution is upgrading to a larger built-in SSD drive, which means you'll need to open up your case and install the new drive. This is pretty easy these days, but if you're worried, there are two easier options. Instead of installing a new internal flash-based SSD drive, you can use tiny flash-based drives in the shape of camera memory cards. They plug into the SDXC card slot on your MacBook Pro.

The TarDisk Pear system is a tiny drive that you can combine with your built-in drive to create a single 'fused' storage system on your MacBook Air or Pro.

For all intents and purposes, the Transcend JetDrive Lite acts like a little USB thumb drive — but it fits flush into the SDXC card slot instead of a USB port. When installed, it appears on your Mac like an external drive that is always on, always available. It appears as a separate storage option to your Mac's operating system yet remains assessable because you don't have to worry about plugging it in since you leave it installed. It's quite handy but you have to pay attention to where you're storing things — on your built-in storage drive or on the JetDrive Lite. The TarDisk Pear system, on the other hand, also uses the SDXC card slot, but when you install it with an included software program, it combines with your built-in storage to form a single 'fused' drive. If you want a near-permanent — but easy storage solution for your Retina MacBook Pro — the TarDisk Pear system might be your best bet. Are there any downsides to these two solutions? The SDXC card slot storage drives are not as fast as a dedicated internal drive, and they basically mean you won't be transferring your photos using that slot anymore (if you do at all). Moving on, let's get back to replacing your drive: If you need more storage space on your Retina MacBook Pro — up to a whopping 1TB — two companies have upgrade kits that can help you do it.

The MacBook Pro with Retina Display Storage Upgrade

While the MacBook Pro seems to be a sealed case, you can open it up to upgrade the solid-state flash storage with a new, larger solid-state drive. Is it hard? Yes and no. If you're moderately handy, you can do it. Here's how to do it in 5 steps:

1. Identify Your MacBook Pro with Retina Display

Not all MacBook Pro with Retina display MacBooks contain the same flash storage system, and you have to match your MacBook Pro to the kits that it is compatible with. Right now, you can get upgrade kits from Transcend or OWC if you have the 'Mid 2012,' 'Late 2012,' and 'Early 2013' MacBook Pro 13-inch and 15-inch with Retina display models. If you have a 'Late 2013,' '2014,' or '2015' model MacBook Pro, the only company that produces internal SSD upgrade kits that I'm aware of and recommend is OWC. (Apple didn't make upgrading these new MacBook Pro models easy, but OWC figured out how to create an option for us, which we appreciate.) How do you figure out which MacBook Pro model number you have? You can go to the upper left Apple menu on your screen and select 'About This Mac.' The popup window will have the basic model description and year description of release in it. If you have any trouble with this, Apple has a support page that will help you identify your MacBook Pro model number, along with the serial number, etc. The description has wording like '15-inch, Mid 2012″ or '13-inch, Early 2013.'

2. Find the SSD Storage to Fit Your MacBook Pro with Retina Display

Basically, you have two great choices of manufacturers, OWC and Transcend. You can buy direct from OWC or get Transcend's kits from Amazon. Transcend's new JetDrive 720 MacBook Pro with Retina display SSD upgrade kits come with the tools you need, including a handy enclosure for your old drive. OWC's Aura Pro + Envoy Pro is also a kit that includes the SSD storage module, the correct screwdrivers, plus a cable and case to help transfer your data to the new drive. Here's the kit links for both options, but as I mentioned above, only OWC offers kits for older Retina MacBooks as well as the newer 'Late 2013' up to '2015' MacBook Pro with Retina display models. Transcend only offers models that fit Mid 2012, Late 2012, and Early 2013 MacBook Pros with Retina displays in 13-inch or 15-inch models:

• OWC Aura Pro + Envoy Pro — the kit comes in 240GB, 480GB, and 1TB options
• Transcend JetDrive 720 — the kit comes in 240GB, 480GB, or 960GB options

3. Clone or Transfer Your Data to the New SSD Drive

While I use Carbon Copy Cloner, which is a third-party app that lets you make complete clones of your drives or create ongoing backups, you can also use Apple's Time Machine or boot into recovery mode and use Apple's built-in Disk Utility to get the job done. Transcend, it turns out, recommends that you use Apple's Disk Utility, which is a fairly simple way to go (see step 4).

Note: The MacBook Pro SSD drives are exposed modules that are more fragile than a fully enclosed hard drive. Before you crack the case and handle the modules, you might want to have a separate backup of your important data. There are a lot of ways you can back up your data, but the easiest way is to choose an external hard drive and use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your entire drive as a bootable backup to your external drive. Alternately, you can just copy your important photos, videos, and documents. (Bonus: The key benefit of an external drive is that you can store it somewhere that is not your home — for example, if there's a fire, your important family photos will be safe.)

4. Check Out Video Walkthroughs and Online Guides

Macbook Pro Disk Space

OWC provides excellent video guides on its website, but I also like the Transcend video walkthrough, which is fast and clear:

5. Perform Your Retina MacBook Pro Storage Upgrade

Macbook Pro Disk Utility

The data cloning process might take a couple of hours, but the actual installation should take less than half an hour. You want to do the installation in a clean place with enough free time without distractions to complete the process end-to-end. You may also want to consider buying an anti-static mat. Personally, I've never bothered, but I've been willing to take my chances. Proceed at your own risk. Finally, don't rush through it. Pay attention and put all the tiny screws in a bowl so they don't roll off your desk and get lost in your carpet. I've known some guys to set the screws on a tray in the relative position that they removed them — just to make sure they put the right screw in the right spot during reassembly.

What's Next?

Keep taking photos, making movies, and fill up your new drive! At the very least, you can always use the handy external portable hard drive from your kit to store content that doesn't absolutely have to be on your MacBook Pro with Retina display. . . making it even easier to have enough storage for your Mac.

Upgrade Disk Space Macbook Pro 15

Get the Gear:

Upgrade Disk Space Macbook Pro 2020

• OWC Aura Pro + Envoy Pro — in 240GB, 480GB, or 1TB
• Transcend JetDrive 720 — in 240GB, 480GB, or 960GB